Bobby Lane and Ish back to the Opens tomorrow at Eufaula.

[PhishLI]

I believe Lane will still defend at Redcrest though. Milliken also debuts with Elite series hopes. Should be interesting. He'll have a personal chase boat and drone footage to document the success or carnage.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Both are known as big Bass catchers, and I'm especially interested to see Milliken.   

 

The pressure in the Elites has to be crazy.   Both of those guys have nice fall back sources of income.   

[PhishLI]

18 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

The pressure in the Elites has to be crazy

Hackney and a few of the Elites are struggling today. Drew Cook is in the top 10 right now. Milliken is holding at 3rd for the moment.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

24 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Hackney and a few of the Elites are struggling today. Drew Cook is in the top 10 right now. Milliken is holding at 3rd for the moment.

This is one of my great childhood friends.....Jon Canada at 15th.   Won a MLF event on Pickwick and took second in another last year.    Been a pro for awhile, something must have clicked for him these last few years, he's mainly a SM guy ironically enough.  

 

15

Jon Canada

5 / 13-10 / 9-0

5 / 13-10

11:57 AM

Brandon is in 62nd, he's having a tough start to the season

 

62

Brandon Palaniuk

4 / 8-12 / 13-14

4 / 8-12

09:59 AM

[TnRiver46]

5 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

This is one of my great childhood friends.....Jon Canada at 15th.   Won a MLF event on Pickwick and took second in another last year.    Been a pro for awhile, something must have clicked for him these last few years, he's mainly a SM guy ironically enough.  

 

15

Jon Canada

5 / 13-10 / 9-0

5 / 13-10

11:57 AM

Brandon is in 62nd, he's having a tough start to the season

 

62

Brandon Palaniuk

4 / 8-12 / 13-14

4 / 8-12

09:59 AM

Milliken in 21st and  palanuik in 24th 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

59 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Milliken in 21st and  palanuik in 24th 

Eufaula showing out, lots of really quality fish.  I watched the whole weigh in, lots of 5+ fish, and a 7.7lb big fish, several other 7lb fish as well. 

 

[PhishLI]

59 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Eufaula showing out, lots of really quality fish.

John Canada in 4th. Brandon Lester's dangerous in the Top 10. If it gets shut down due to wind tomorrow, it'll probably blow up everyone's waypoints. Dark horse winner probably.

[Team9nine]

Billy McDonald just posted saying they’ve already canceled tomorrow, everyone back on Saturday for a shootout.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

14 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

John Canada in 4th. Brandon Lester's dangerous in the Top 10. If it gets shut down due to wind tomorrow, it'll probably blow up everyone's waypoints. Dark horse winner probably.

If he pulls down a top 5, let alone win, I'd say this is his most impressive performance.    He came close to winning the MLF event this summer on SLR.   He moved up there for awhile to learn that body of water he loved it so much.   We grew up an hour away from SM, yet that's where his success has come up until now.   Eufaula is vastly different than Pickwick and SLR.   Wonder what clicked in his fishing game, I know he's fantastic on the scope.   

 

He's always been a hammer, and highly praised guide, but if you look at his lifetime of fishing tourneys, it was a flat line curve and then a huge upswing the last two years or so.    Amazing to see a kid you grew up with having such success, if he gets into a Classic it will be mind blowing.   

 

[PhishLI]

Ben Milliken balancing big bass specialist versus points chaser - Bassmaster

[InfantryMP]

I hope Ben does well. Either way in the tournament. He is still going to get his, on the Youtube side. 

 

I think it is very smart to look at the points vs trying to win every tournament with big bass. I mean if would be cool to see both, but I understand the philosophy. I bet he gets in a rhythm to where he gets his 5 fish limit, and then starts to go look out deep for the giants. If he can find those places in practice then he will be a dangerous man on the trail. 

[WRB]

Lake Eufaula AL has change a lot the past 10 years with Hydrilla growth. 

Back in the 1969 I fished Eufaula and was loaded with aggressive 5 lb to 7 lb Northern strain LMB located off shore long points ends by the dam. That area still has a good population of big bass but the hydrilla growth killed the deep crank bait bite. 

Early 70’s Florida strain LMB were introduced in several Alabama larger reservoirs including Eufaula setting the lake record 10 years later. I don’t believe Eufaula continued stocking FLMB and Alabama focused on Gunthersville.

I wouldn’t expect LMB over 10 lbs to hit the scales in Eufaula tournament, 8 lbs yes.

If I was fishing this event my focus would be on early pre spawn staging areas,not off shore deep structure.

Tom

[PhishLI]

On 3/2/2023 at 1:02 PM, AlabamaSpothunter said:

This is one of my great childhood friends.....Jon Canada

He's closing in with an hour and a half to go.

 

On 3/3/2023 at 9:59 AM, InfantryMP said:

I hope Ben does well.

Hanging in the top 10 at the moment.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

17 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

He's closing in with an hour and a half to go.

 

Hanging in the top 10 at the moment.

Yeah this is seemingly his new MO, he gets up there on that leaderboard on day 1, expect him to finish there.   

 

Very impressive, that leaderboard has been shook up too.    He just needs that "one fish" you often hear these guys talk about post tourney.   Hope he gets it.   A 6 or 7lb fish would do it I bet. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Man that was seriously impressive by Justin Barnes.....having the wheels come off until 2pm and then producing 23lb bag to take the win home.    

 

Wouldn't have guessed they were cranking deep, and using other techniques deep.  Lot of good fish came from beds on the first day.    

 

50lb bag to win a two day tourney is excellent.   Good for Eufaula.